


hello, starling

by raumdeuter



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 14:31:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12706908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raumdeuter/pseuds/raumdeuter
Summary: “I can’t believe you actually put this on Snapchat,” says Odell.David grins unrepentantly, shrugs. Over his shoulder, one enormous wing moves up and down, and a couple stray feathers drift away. “It wasn’t a big deal. Everyone just thought it was a new filter.”





	hello, starling

**Author's Note:**

> for the nov 2017 football monthly trope prompt: wingfic

“I can’t believe you actually put this on Snapchat,” says Odell.

David grins unrepentantly, shrugs. Over his shoulder, one enormous wing moves up and down, and a couple stray feathers drift away. “It wasn’t a big deal. Everyone just thought it was a new filter.”

Privately Odell thinks they’d have to be pretty stupid to believe that, but David’s enthusiasm is infectious, and anyway, if he’s honest with himself, he’s still in shock.

He’s seen birds with wings like this in New York: jet black until the light hits them, and their plumage turns shimmering gold and green-blue and purple. He can’t remember what they’re called. But the wings rising behind David’s head must be fifty times that size, and when David catches him staring--like he could be doing anything else--he grins and spreads them until they fill the phone screen with a riot of color.

“ _Bro_ ,” says Odell, half in awe.

“I know!” David leans in close. “Sick, right? You like them?”

“Don’t kid yourself, man,” says Odell, “you look like you woke up late for Mardi Gras,” and David laughs, not quite getting the joke but knowing banter when he hears it. “When’d it happen?”

“I don’t know. Sometime last night, I guess. I wake up like this.” David folds his wings again with an ease that belies their size. “I was freaked out at first, you know? But then I thought--not everyone gets their powers on time. Or even at all.”

“I guess this is why ESPN said you were out with the flu this morning,” says Odell, and David looks startled.

“You saw that?”

“Hell yeah I did. Was about to airlift you some chicken soup and everything.”

He expects David to smile, but instead he ducks his head, looks askance. “I didn’t want everyone to know right away. Actually, you’re the only one I've told so far.”

“Yeah,” says Odell, “me and everyone else on Snapchat.”

But if he’s honest with himself, the thought of it fills him up in a way he hadn’t expected. He doesn’t know whether to be pleased about being the first one to know or exasperated about David telling him of all people, stuck in New York with a bum ankle, when he knows full well someone closer to home might actually be able to lend him a hand.

It must show on his face, because David mock-frowns and says, “I’ll call Franck and Jerome after you, okay? I just thought you’d like to hear it first, from me. Because after Franck finds out, man, everyone’s gonna know.”

“Maybe they’ll think Instagram has started using novelty filters, too,” says Odell, and David flicks a wing at him.

“Anyway,” says David, “you’re not doing anything this weekend? Because I need, how do you say it, a captive audience when I test these out. See how I’m going to have to adjust my play.”

Odell grins. Something in his chest has settled at the words. David, he thinks, has always been a little bit extravagant. Not--in a careless way, or anything. But in the way where he’ll fly halfway around the world on his weekend off just to say hello. The wings…they suit him.

“You want _me_ to fly over there?” he says in mock outrage. “Come on, man, that don’t seem fair to me. You want me this weekend, you come over here and fly me across the Atlantic yourself.”

David laughs. His wings rustle like an echo behind him, iridescent in the sunlight.


End file.
